I am a Tombstone Tourist: someone who loves to wander cemeteries. I find it akin to visiting a museum: an opportunity to enjoy rarely seen sculpture, intricate carvings, and amazing architecture, all in a tranquil outdoor setting. This blog is about cemetery culture, art, history, issues of death, and genealogy - subjects of current relevance. I usually find something that intrigues me and makes me want to dig deeper. Care to join me? Read on...

Friday, February 27, 2015

“A person dies. No one knows how to reach the
family. The coroner’s investigators have exhausted their resources. That’s when
Unclaimed Persons starts to work.”

It
sounds like opening line from a forensic program on TV, but Unclaimed Persons is a real group
made up of volunteers who combine their love and understanding of
genealogy research with investigative research techniques to try and
locate the next of kin for those who have died without any one to claim them.

These
aren’t necessarily people who have not been identified; rather it’s their family – their next
of kin that are unknown. Although there are also those who have used a false
identity, or several, and died without their actual identity known.

So
how does Unclaimed Persons (UP) work?

1)
A coroner’s office will send information to Unclaimed Persons. A submission form
can be filled out on line, or the coroner’s office can provide specifics in
their standard format.

2)
A case manager with the UP group will assign a case number to the submission.

3)
The case manager then forwards the information to a case administrator,
labeling it as an “active case.”

4)
A conversational thread between volunteers and readers begins. (It is these
conversations that usually bring about the discovery of those elusive next of
kin.)

5)
Information is investigated by UP volunteers using their genealogy research
techniques. A social security application may be ordered to assist with
difficult cases.

6)
Findings are submitted to a UP case administrator who reviews the information.

7)
That administrator will then submit the findings to the case manager.

8)
The case manager will prepare a report that goes to the submitting coroner’s
office.

9)
And hopefully, the coroner’s office will share the outcome of the case (without
violating anyone’s privacy) with the Unclaimed Persons group.

If
the deceased has already been interred, the next of kin will be given the
option of having the remains disinterred and moved. If the body was cremated
and the ashes scattered, the next of kin will be given that information.

There
is no set period of time for a case to be solved. A case can be returned to the
group for a second attempt if the information did not produce the necessary
resolution or if the relatives express no interest in getting involved.

In
the past six years, since Unclaimed Persons began, volunteers have solved hundreds
of cases.

If
you would like to volunteer your time and expertise in assisting to help locate "missing" family
members, contact Unclaimed Persons on their Facebook page. "Every life is worth remembering."

Friday, February 20, 2015

It
was February 20. 1942 when an American Naval pilot became the first U.S.
Flying Ace of World War Two. Twenty-seven-year-old Edward H. “Butch” O’Hare made
history when his F4F Wildcat fighter intercepted nine Japanese bombers, not far
from the Solomon Islands, preparing to attack the USS Lexington.

USS Lexington

Dufilho and O'Hare's Planes

O’Hare’s
plane was one of six fighters that took off from the Lexington’s deck to take on the nine incoming Japanese Mitsubishi G4M “Betty” bombers. But only two
of the fighters were within striking distance of the bombers; O’Hare and “Duff” Dufilho.
Then Wildcats were flying in formation toward the Japanese bombers when Dufilho's guns jammed and he dropped off, leaving O’Hare to fly
solo into the enemy's formation. With remarkable skill, O’Hare
downed three of the bombers and heavily damaged two more in a matter of minutes,
using about 60 rounds per bomber.

Lt Comm Butch O'Hare

The
USS Lexington escaped without damage, and O’Hare was promoted to Lieutenant
Commander. He was also designated as the Navy’s first fighter ace. (The designation ace is only given to a pilot who had
downed five or more enemy planes.) O’Hare was also the first naval aviator to
be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery.

For
the next several months, O’Hare toured the country on promotional and war bond
tours. In June 1942, he was relocated to Maui, Hawaii and placed in command
of a group of combat pilots that he trained in fighting tactics.

Wake Island

O’Hare
did not fly a combat mission again until October 1943 when he took part in the
attacks on Wake Island. Then, on November 27, 1943, Butch O’Hare volunteered to
lead a team of three fighters during the Navy's first-ever nighttime fighter attack.

USS Enterprise

F4F Wildcat

O’Hare
and his group took off from the deck of the USS Enterprise. But the mission
soon became muddled and radio contact with O’Hare was lost during the battle.
It is not known what happened to O’Hare or his Wildcat fighter, but no trace of
either was ever found.

In
November 1944, one year after the attack, Edward Butch O’Hare was officially listed as
dead. His wife Rita received her husband’s posthumous decorations, a Purple
Heart and Navy Cross.

O’Hare
continued to be honored, both during and after the war. A US Navy Destroyer was
named after him in 1945. And in 1949, the Chicago Airport was renamed O’Hare
International Airport in honor of the first Fighter Ace of WWII.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Mankind
has held funeral ceremonies since ancient times. Every culture has had specific
rites and customs that would be followed for the burying of their dead.

Egyptian Mummification

Celtic Burial Ground

The
Neanderthals decorated their graves with flowers and antlers as far back as
60,000 BC. Ancient Egyptians began using a form of body preservation now known as
mummification (the first embalming) in 3400 BC. Egyptians along with Native
Americans buried their dead with tools, pots, jewelry and other items that
might be needed in the next life.

A constant theme exsists in regard to death: There was always a ritual or ceremony held when
someone died. Then the remains were entombed, placed or scattered at a specific
place considered scared by the community, and a memorial or some type of
monument, rock or plant was placed on the grave as a way of showing remembrance
and respect.

A Modern Funeral "Parlor"

Today, we have funerals at a funeral home
where a service is held before the body is
consigned to a cemetery where the family erects a monument, plants
a tree or marks the grave with a token of remembrance.

Civil War Embalming

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the process of
burying the dead began to change. Embalming became accepted during the Civil War as a way to preserve bodies. The deceased was then placed in a homemade coffin so that family could say their last goodbyes in the parlor. But then solid caskets
began to replace these wooden coffins and the funeral home was the place where the body was "visited" - not in the "parlor" at home. Funerals became a professional business.

There are many ways in which we have changed our burial methods. Take a look at this
listing that shows some of the changes over the past 100 years.

Where
100 years ago an average funeral service and
burial for an adult could run between $100 and $200. Today that number can
easily range from $9,000 up. Statistics given for an adult funeral usually
average around $7,300 but this does not
include the gravesite, vault, opening and closing fees, gravestone and other
cemetery-related expenses which must be considered if the remains are to be
buried.

"All good things must come to an end" and the
days of the $100 funeral have gone the way of the horse and carriage. But you
can still control how much you want to spend on your funeral by pre-planning, and shopping
around. After all - It is your funeral!

Friday, February 6, 2015

You
would recognize that red kettle anywhere, and the holidays wouldn’t seem quite
right without the ringing of that bell along street corners throughout the world,
but do you really know what the Salvation Army does?

This
year will mark the sesquicentennial of The Salvation Army, a Christian
organization and international group that provides charitable giving to those
in need. The organization is set up along the lines of a military unit with officers,
soldiers and volunteers who work together to meet the physical, emotional and
spiritual needs of the poor, destitute and hungry.

William Booth

London's Poor

It
all began in 1865, when London minister William Booth decided to take his
message to the streets so that he could better reach the poor, homeless and
hungry. Realizing that the destitute were not welcome in Victorian churches of
the time, Booth founded a church just for them – the East London Christian
Mission.

Bramwell Booth

Catherine Booth

Booth’s
wife Catherine, and son Bramwell worked with him. In fact, it was Bramwell who
named the organization The Salvation Army in 1878. In 1880, The Salvation Army
came to America, and by 1900, the group had established organizations
throughout the world. Today, The Salvation Army can be found in 126 countries
around the globe.

Capt. Joseph McFee

The
red kettle did not come about until December of 1891. Salvation Army
Captain Joseph McFee needed money to pay for food
for the free Christmas dinners to be given to San Francisco’s poor. While
walking the waterfront, McFee saw a “Simpson’s pot,” a large pot placed near
the landing docks where passerby’s tossed coins to the poor.

McFee
placed a similar pot at the Oakland ferry landing with a sign that read, “Keep the Pot Boiling.”McFee received enough money to provide
dinners for all of those in need that Christmas. By 1895, over 30 Salvation
Army locations in the U.S. were using the red kettles to raise funds for the
poor, and by 1897, the red kettle had spread throughout the country. The New
York World newspaper dubbed the kettles “the
newest and most novel device for collecting money.” And the kettles are
still used today, mainly between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Last year, over
58-and-a-half million meals were served to those in need.

But The Salvation Army does more than give holiday assistance, provide rehabilitation
centers, and run thrift stores. It also offers emergency disaster services, provides
senior, adult and child care centers, oversees group homes and temporary
housing, provides youth camps, training programs, and supplies transportation,
medical care, job referrals and substance abuse assistance to those in need. In
the 21st century, human and sexual trafficking are major problems,
and The Salvation Army also provides services and advocacy for those who have
been victimized by this international crime.

Salvation Army Lodging

In
the past year, shelter and lodging was provided for over 10.5 million people,
and clothing, furniture and gifts were distributed to over 20 million people
throughout the world.

The
Salvation Army also provides assistance during and after major disasters.
There are ordained clergy in the group who comfort the bereaved,
conduct funeral services and hold memorial services. To find out more, visit The Salvation Army website.

Commemorating
150 years of “Doing the Most Good” is indeed, something to celebrate.

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